Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-06-01

fashion. As Guy Winters was expected
she had made herself as beautiful as poss
| BILE. A blue silk dress draped her stylis
figure; a jewelled butterfly sat perched il
her hair: at her throat and in her ears wer
silver ornaments.
Celia, too, was tall, but her figure wa
| too much inclined to embonpoint for grace
fulness. She was dark as an Egyptian, no
IN the least pretty, and her manners wer,
affected and disagreeable She was attiret
In garnet silk, with plenty of lace yellowcc
oy age, for she was vain enough to think
she might enslave Guy Winters.
Lucy, on the contrary, was as natural ant
simple as her name. She had bright,
piquant face, lighted by lustrous dark eyes
sweet. red mouth that looked as if il
meant to be kissed, and a flow of dun
brown hair in which there was no CLEAN Of
gold. Clad simply in some neutral-tintec
material that fitted her slim shape to 6
nicely, with knot of the lilies-of-the
valley clinging to her throat, she was not a
girl to pass by with single glance. One
enjoyed looking at her, even though she
said not word: but when she began to
talk, and her face lighted up, she was for
the time being positively beautiful.
All sat there listening to Aunt Mehit.
able. She was speaking in calm, delib.
crate way, wholly Unnatural to her. 81
did not send for you, girls, without rea.
son. limited it IN my letter. Let me be
more explicit. In my younger days was
engaged to Hugh Winters. For some rea.
son, 1t is unnecessary to state what, the
match was broken off. Hugh married
some one else. A son was given them. On
the broad face of the earth there is not a
creature that the old maid loves as she
does him. l wish him to inherit my prop
erty expect him here tonight Now, as
ne must marry some day, I would rather he
be married to niece of mine than to a
stranger. There's no necessity to beat
about the bush; the one he falls in love
with will be rich mans wife. Rachel, -
with piercing glance at the girl who sat
toying with the pendants on her bracelet
"are you prepared to be his wife if he de-
sires it?'
There was hush IN the room. The lilac
outside swayed its branches across the win
dow, whispering an unintelligible tale; the
black shadows of night fell over the colt age
and ran silently athwart the face of the
earth. All awaited her answer.
In clear, unembarrassed voice, not only
distinctly audible to the three women with
in, but to the young man without, who,
with valise in hand, had halted meath the
nodding plumes to take peep in the sit
tlng-room ere entering, she said:
"l'm perfectly willing, aunt. I've seen
the gentleman's photograph, and his face
suits me. Yes, if he proposes, shall ac-
cept him. I will be his wife,
The words, SO unblushingly delivered,
caused bit Of surprise to all. They were
not prepared, even Aunt Mehitable, for so
forward reply She merely. said: .'You
are girl of sense. Celia, what do you say?
Are you ready to accede to my proposition,
and become, if you have the chance, Guy
Winters's wife?"
Again came an instantaneous response: !:
"Ay, verify, aunt; and as he is a man of
sense, you say, with beauty and brains and
prospective riches, shall not sit with
folded hands, passive, and allow Rachel to
ensnare him in the meshes of the net she
proposes to weave, but shall earnestly
strive to win him. If Rachel has beauty, I
have what is infinitely better-a we'll
balanced mind. If he passes me by and
takes her, he is foolr'
The man creuching at the foot of the
lilac dropped his valise in CONSERVATION.
w as be to become the prey of one of these
bold-faced women? Was his fate to be thus
disposed of, and he to have no
voice in the matter2 What reply would the
third one maker Somehow he was anxious
to hear it.
She sat there bit apart from the rest,
with dro0ping head and downcast eyes, the
roses coming and going in her checks;
girl with the grace and beauty of a wood
land flower.
-
w hen the question was presented her she
raised her small head proudly and indig-
nantly said; 81 decline the honor. I shall
not enter the list against my cousins. The
beauty of one, she superior mind of the
other, ought to be attraction enough for
the gentleman. I am too insignificant
blossom for him to pluck; aud even if l
should find favor in his eyes, would never
marry man purposely to win his fortune.
He must be sadly In want of spirit-a mere
shadow of man-if he, to please you and
become your heir, offers his hand to one of
us. L am poor country girl, obliged to
teach district-sehool for livelihood; but
l would scorn man, had he the riches of a
Cr9sus, the persuasive tongue of a ST.
John, If he wanted to marry me without
lover'
How her eyes flashed! How mutinous
grew the sweet, red mouth! To be 80 cruel
ly misunderstood was more than Guy Win
ters could bear. In a trice he stood in the
doorway, true specimen ofmanhood, tall,
grandly handsome, his blue eyes flashing
with excitement.
He scarcely greeted Aunt Mehitable ere
he began: II beg your pardon, ladies. but
overheard your gratuitous remarks con-
cerning myself. 1 decline the honor the
Misses Bentley would confer upon me, with
Here he executed profound, mocking
salaam, much to the discomfortnre of the
two ladies, who felt as if they would like
to box his ears; and then turned in the
direction of Lucy, whose face was the color
of blush rose
''Little wildwood blossom, do you know
you have maligned me? Miss Bentley,
whom love and respect SO mueh''-here
he cast glace of affection at the spinster
NEVER led me TO believe that her fortune
would one day be mine. I do not need it.
| am making money enough by my pro-
fession; but" and his hand was laid care
lessly on the wee brown one testing on the
back of chair, 81 do want, if l can get
her, the little woman who is imbued with
such noble principles. Lucy" and his
voice sounded very sweet and earnest to the
trembling girl, lin you / have found the
one woman l could love with all my heart.
Will yeu try to love me in return?
He had spoken unmindful of the presence
of Aunt Mehitable and the two sisters, who
were casting Medusa glances at them. Sub
dued, magnetized by his look, his tone,
Lucy was incapable of uttering a reply. In
fact she did not attempt one; but she felt
in her heart that she would some day be
this mans wife.
The next morning, when the stage left
Black kberryville, it bore away the Misses
Bentley and their Saratoga" trunk. They
did not mean to bury themselves in will
derness when they could spend the summer
delightfully."- at Long Branch.
Guy Winters, they declared, was such a
laekanapes that they would not marry him
it he were the last man on the face of the
earth. Lucy and Guy remained two weeks,
as was their intention; and when they part
ed Guy had won from the girl a reluctant
promise that if she did not meet any one
she liked better, she would become his wife
in the fall.
Evidently she did not, for when Octeber's
leaves began to eddy to the ground, Guy
and xrora Y,ada ,,,op ,1d xr;rc